Won't let me towel dry her!!!

[nickycnc]

My little girl is very naughty when it comes to drying her. I can just about dry her front paws before she goes off on one I've tried clicker/reward for each paw, but I think she would rather go without food for a week than be dried. She becomes very grouchy and vocal when trying to dry and won't stay still....she doesn't see it as a game, she just hates it.

Any tips??

[bibathediva]

lola who is 7 months is very vocal when i try to dry her but it isnt nasty she just doesnt like it and flips around like a loon  then tries to kill the towel  ..Biba who is nearly 2 grumbles when i dry her front paws..she has never liked it and never will..have tried clicker training but it didnt work...she will let you hold her paws and examine them but just hates having them dried  ...not a lot of help i know but i think some dogs just dont like it and never will ....why is it always the front paws though 

[spanielcrazy]

I have a lot of dogs, my own and my grooming clients, who growl and grumble for towel drying. I just carry on with it. I've had quite a few who sounded very vicious about it, one of my own girls was the worst; snarling and growling- sounded like she was going to take my arm off--but I have never had anyone follow through and actually try to bite

I stand behind the dogs with the towel draped over them and use the ends to do the drying, one hand is on their chest to hold them and drying with the other. I dry the head and body first, then work my way down their legs. When drying feet I am gentle with the paw itself, but you can really get hold of the long hair on the top of the foot and wring it out, without holding the foot itself.

If I am just drying feet after a wet walk, I still use a full size towel and do it the same way, it makes it much easier for the dog and for me. If you are in front facing the dog, it's too easy to get into a tug o war with the dogs leg, and too easy for them to get away from you

[bibathediva]

You learn something new everyday  ..great tip about standing behind the dog..never thought to do that...dont think it will stop the grumbling but it should help with the towel war   

[Robbie34]

You will just have to persevere.  I have no problem with drying Charley and he seems to enjoy it.  When he was a puppy he insisted on coming into the shower with me - he doesn't now - so he had to be dried off every day.  Obviously, he got used to it.

The only problem is that he can't count.  When drying his paws - after he has been out in the rain - he tends to walk off after I have only dried three of his paws.

[tillyson]

You will just have to persevere.  I have no problem with drying Charley and he seems to enjoy it.  When he was a puppy he insisted on coming into the shower with me - he doesn't now - so he had to be dried off every day.  Obviously, he got used to it.

The only problem is that he can't count.  When drying his paws - after he has been out in the rain - he tends to walk off after I have only dried three of his paws.

   that's exactly what tilly does

[SammiH]

I have two techniques:
1.  Hold the towel up in front of you and say "Up"- this prompts Fudge to put his front paws up onto it and onto your thighs- that's those dry, even if it is on your jeans rather than the towel!
2. Put the towel on the floor- this prompts Fudge to roll around on it rubbing his head all over it (and the floor!)  
While he is rolling on the floor, I grab a corner of the towel and wipe his back paws!
 Finally, get a mop and bucket and clean the whole of the hallway floor!

[Linz13]

maddi is very vocal during towel drying, I just keep going til it's done, she isn't as bad now, Murphy loves it - he keeps trying to nudge maddi out the way to get more! 

[ludo]

Hi - it might help to teach your puppy to give a paw as part of having paws handled and when you are doing daily grooming to use a face flannel to wipe over the feet when they are dry followed by liver cake - you could also try someone holding a piece of livercake whilst the puppy knuzzles this and then you can concentrate of patting the feet dry whilst puppies mind is on food.  You could also try wrapping him in a towel when he is dry a bit like you would with a blanket - he might be a bit happier over time when he gets more used to it.    Hope all goes well 

[dkirkuk]

I haven't yet collected my new cocker and hope I'm not speaking to soon, but both my lab loved being towel-dried. I made it a bit of a game, throwing the towel over her and then saying "where's Becky", and when she started to squirm out of the towel I'd give her a good rub. This would repeat several times until I felt that her body was fairly dry, and then I would more quietly run down her legs.

She loved the game and would bounce away and then come back for more.

Only problem might be if your girl is very excitable in which case you might wind her up more. But might be worth a try if she currently associates the towel with something bad.

[Spaniel Girl]

You will just have to persevere.  I have no problem with drying Charley and he seems to enjoy it.  When he was a puppy he insisted on coming into the shower with me - he doesn't now - so he had to be dried off every day.  Obviously, he got used to it.

The only problem is that he can't count.  When drying his paws - after he has been out in the rain - he tends to walk off after I have only dried three of his paws.

Rupert does exactly the same thing.

[teapot]

Tia used to be a pain when drying her - she wriggled, killed the towel and ran away 
With lots of perseverance we have managed to train Tia to roll over and allow us to dry her. We started off showing her a treat, making her sit first so we could dry top half, then rewarding. Then we showed another treat, and asked her to roll over so we could dry her paws and belly and rewarded good behaviour again. Now when she comes in and needs drying she automatically rolls over and presents herself cos she knows she always gets praise or a treat (even if we haven't showed her one)    She also does the same when using the doggie hairdryer.